[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 18, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1235-S1236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4517. Mr. LUJAN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 1383, to establish the Veterans Advisory Committee
on Equal Access, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on
the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. CAREGIVER SKILLS TRAINING PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Health and Human
Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration (referred to in this
section as the ``Secretary''), shall carry out a program, to
be known as the Caregiver Skills Training Pilot Program,
under which the Secretary shall award grants to eligible
entities to provide evidence-based caregiver skills training
to family caregivers, for the purposes of--
(1) improving the well-being of children with autism
spectrum disorder or another developmental disability or
developmental delay and their caregivers; and
(2) teaching family caregivers evidenced-based intervention
strategies to promote--
(A) improvement in the well-being of such children and
their caregivers; and
(B) the greater inclusion of such children in family and
community life.
(b) Application.--To seek a grant under this section, an
eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an application
that includes--
(1) a description of--
(A) the applicant's experience delivering evidence-based
caregiver skills training to family caregivers;
(B) the activities that the applicant proposes to carry out
through the grant; and
(C) how such activities will achieve the purposes described
in subsection (a); and
(2) a plan for--
(A) coordination with--
(i) community-based organizations;
(ii) State and local early intervention providers;
(iii) State plans (or waivers of such plans) under the
Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.);
(iv) State Directors of Head Start Collaboration (as
described in section 642B of the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C.
9837b));
(v) schools; and
(vi) other providers of early intervening services;
(B) collaboration with health care payors (including public
and private insurance), State departments of insurance,
health plans, and other relevant payors;
(C) expanding the skills training program proposed to be
carried out through the grant;
(D) achieving sustainability of such program; and
(E) establishing and maintaining a stakeholder
implementation committee under subsection (e).
(c) Reducing Disparities.--In awarding grants under this
section, the Secretary may consider the extent to which an
eligible entity can deliver evidence-based, culturally
competent and linguistically appropriate information to
family caregivers from diverse racial, ethnic, geographic, or
linguistic backgrounds.
(d) Use of Funds.--The recipient of a grant under this
section shall use funds received through the grant--
(1) to provide, at no cost to participants--
(A) evidence-based caregiver skills training to family
caregivers; and
(B) such training in areas related to children's learning
and development, including--
(i) communication skills;
(ii) social engagement;
(iii) daily living skills;
(iv) caregiver response strategies to challenging
behaviors; and
(v) coping and self-care strategies for family caregivers;
and
(2) to establish and maintain a stakeholder implementation
committee under subsection (e).
(e) Stakeholder Implementation Committee.--
(1) In general.--An eligible entity shall establish and
maintain a stakeholder implementation committee referred to
in subsection (d)(2) to advise on ensuring that the training
provided pursuant to the grant is accessible and culturally
appropriate and linguistically appropriate.
(2) Composition.--The members of the stakeholder
implementation committee shall all be from the local
community served pursuant to the grant (or the relevant
metropolitan statistical area) and shall include, at a
minimum, the following:
(A) Family caregivers, including autistic caregivers and
other caregivers with disabilities.
(B) Pediatric health care and early intervention providers,
including developmental behavioral pediatricians, with
expertise providing services to children with autism spectrum
disorder or other developmental disabilities and delays.
(C) Educators or related service professionals, including
child care providers, with experience serving children with
autism spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities
and delays.
(D) Representatives of local organizations familiar with
the cultural values and priorities of individuals in the
local community.
(E) Local government officials.
(f) Requirements.--
(1) Number of recipients and states.--The Secretary shall
award grants under subsection (a) to not fewer than 25
eligible entities in not fewer than 15 States.
(2) Amount.--The total amount of each grant awarded under
subsection (a) shall be not less than $500,000 over a 5-year
period.
(g) Supplement Not Supplant.--Amounts received through a
grant under this section shall be used to supplement, not
supplant, other amounts received to provide--
(1) behavioral, medical, habilitative, and other services
covered by the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or private health
insurance;
(2) services provided under the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.); or
(3) adaptations of a training program using evidence-based
approaches to serve children of different ages, communities,
and underrepresented groups.
(h) Activities of the Secretary.--The Secretary, acting
through the Administrator of the Health Resources and
Services Administration, shall--
(1) assist recipients of grants under subsection (a) in--
[[Page S1236]]
(A) the implementation of caregiver skills training
programs using lessons learned from other evidenced-based
activities or caregiver programs conducted or supported by
the Health Resources and Services Administration;
(B) ensuring the programs of the recipients assist
medically underserved communities (as defined in section
799B(6) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(6)),
when possible; and
(C) developing plans for achieving sustainability of the
programs of the recipients;
(2) conduct an annual evaluation of activities funded
through grants under subsection (a), in consultation with the
grant recipients, including evaluation of the effectiveness
of--
(A) the communication, social engagement, and daily living
skills of children with autism spectrum disorder or other
developmental disabilities and delays; and
(B) the extent to which family caregivers see improvements
in the communication, social engagement, and daily living
skills of such children; and
(3) convene at least one national or regional meeting of
such grant recipients to discuss best practices.
(i) Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than 6 months after awarding
the first grant under subsection (a), the Secretary shall
submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report on the
implementation of this section. Such report shall include--
(A) how many grants have been awarded;
(B) the name and location of the grant recipients;
(C) the communities served by the grants;
(D) a description of the kind of activities to be carried
out with the grants;
(E) an analysis, conducted by the Administrator of the
Health Resources and Services Administration, based on the
evaluation under subsection (h)(2), of the effectiveness of
such grants with respect to--
(i) the communication, social engagement, and daily living
skills of children with autism spectrum disorder or other
developmental disabilities and delays; and
(ii) the extent to which family caregivers see improvements
in the communication, social engagement, and daily living
skills of such children; and
(F) best practices to increase access to caregiver skills
training programs described in subsection (a) in medically
underserved communities.
(2) Final report.--Not later than the end of fiscal year
2027, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate, a final report on the implementation of this section,
including--
(A) the information, analysis, and best practices listed in
subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (1); and
(B) recommendations on how to expand and extend the program
under this section.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Developmental delay.--The term ``developmental delay''
has the meaning given such term in section 632(3) of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C.
1432(3))
(2) Developmental disability.--The term ``developmental
disability'' has the meaning given such term in section
102(8)(A) of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and
Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 15002(8)(A)).
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an
entity that--
(A) is--
(i) a nonprofit or other community-based organization;
(ii) a Federally qualified health center;
(iii) an accredited academic medical center;
(iv) a health system; or
(v) a collaboration or consortium of 2 or more entities
listed in clauses (i) through (iv);
(B) has at least 3 years of demonstrated experience--
(i) delivering culturally appropriate and linguistically
appropriate services for children with autism spectrum
disorder or other developmental disabilities or developmental
delays, as well as collaborating directly with their
families, including in medically underserved communities;
(ii) providing services to such children, as well as
collaborating directly with their families;
(iii) providing individual caregiver coaching to caregivers
of such children; and
(iv) working with self-advocates or adults with autism
spectrum disorder or other developmental disabilities or
developmental delays;
(C) can demonstrate the ability to access resources from
and collaborate with--
(i) health care providers;
(ii) allied health professionals;
(iii) educators, including childcare providers;
(iv) social workers; and
(v) direct care professionals; and
(D) has prior demonstrated experience delivering mental
health services that address both developmental disabilities
and one or more cooccurring mental health conditions,
including depression, anxiety, and attention-deficit/
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
(4) Family caregiver.--The term ``family caregiver'' means
an adult family member or other individual who has a
significant relationship with, and who provides a broad range
of assistance to, a child between the ages of 0 and 9
diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or another
developmental disability or developmental delay.
(5) Federally qualified health center.--The term
``Federally qualified health center'' has the meaning given
the term in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395x(aa)).
(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this
section, there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
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